The SUNY Cortland softball team earned its sixth trip to the NCAA Division III World Series and its fourth in the last seven years after posting a 4-1 record in regional play last weekend at Ithaca College. Under 15th-year head coach Julie Lenhart, the Red Dragons (44-7) will face Tufts University (Mass.) (42-1) on Friday at 4 p.m. at Montclair State University in Montclair, N.J.

Cortland is 1-1 lifetime versus the Jumbos, but the teams have not met since a Cortland 2-1 victory in the 1999 regular season. Against other Series teams, Cortland is 7-4 versus Messiah (Pa.), 3-2 versus Salisbury (Md.), 1-2 versus Coe (Iowa) and 0-1 versus Ohio Northern. Cortland has never faced Texas-Tyler or Gustavus Adolphus (Minn.).
 
Cortland is the ony returning team from last year's World Series field. The Red Dragons tied for fifth last year in Salem, Va., with a 1-2 record and was also tied for fifth with a 1-2 mark in 2003 in Salem. The Red Dragons tied for fifth nationally in 1985 with a 0-2 record in a six-team field in Willimantic, Conn., and tied for seventh in the nation with an 0-2 mark at both the 1998 and 2004 tournaments, both in Salem.

World Series Web Site (includes links to live stats and video for each game)


FRIDAY, MAY 15:

Game 1: Gustavus Adolphus (Minn.) (39-7) vs. Texas-Tyler (38-8), 11 a.m.
Game 2: Messiah (Pa.) (39-4) vs. Ohio Northern (39-4), 1:30 p.m.
Game 3: Cortland (44-7) vs. Tufts (Mass.) (42-1), 4 p.m.
Game 4: Coe (Iowa) (38-11) vs. Salisbury (Md.) (39-5), 6:30 p.m.
 
SATURDAY, MAY 16:

Game 5: Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2, 11 a.m.
Game 6: Loser Game 3 vs. Loser Game 4, 1:30 p.m.
Game 7: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2, 4 p.m.
Game 8: Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4, 6:30 p.m.
 
SUNDAY, MAY 17:

Game 9: Winner Game 6 vs. Loser Game 7, Noon
Game 10: Winner Game 5 vs. Loser Game 8, 2:30 p.m.
Game 11: Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 8, 5 p.m.
Game 12: Winner Game 9 vs. Winner Game 10, 7:30 p.m.
 
MONDAY, MAY 18:

Game 13: Loser Game 11 vs. Winner Game 12, Noon
Game 14: Winner Game 11 vs. Winner Game 13, 2:30 p.m.
 
TUESDAY, MAY 19:

Game 15: Same teams as Game 14, if necessary, 11 a.m.

 
TEAM                        PREVIOUS WORLD SERIES APPEARANCES      NCAA TITLES
Coe                           (1) 2006                                                                     none
Cortland                    (5) 1985-98-2003-04-08                                            none
Gustavus Adolphus   first appearance in 2009                                           none
Messiah                    (1) 1999                                                                     none
Ohio Northern           first appearance in 2009                                            none
Salisbury                   (5) 1998-2002-03-04-05                                            none
Texas-Tyler               first appearance in 2009                                            none
Tufts                          (1) 2000                                                                     none